


Try to forget what's in the past (Tomorrow is here)

by felicityremarkablesmoak (lookatallthemoresigive)



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Chinese food on Christmas, F/M, Holiday Fic Exchange, Humor, Olicity Secret Santa, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-01-06 22:36:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1112325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lookatallthemoresigive/pseuds/felicityremarkablesmoak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Felicity and Thea made the annual Queen Consolidated Christmas Party fun. Or how all plans go awry when they come in contact with a Queen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Try to forget what's in the past (Tomorrow is here)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LittleBlondeMermaid](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleBlondeMermaid/gifts).



> For the "Olicity Holiday Fic Exchange" on Tumblr. Hey butfareforward, I'm your Secret Santa! Sorry this took so long, an ambitious plot and college apps do not a good pairing make. 
> 
> Prompt: I love the idea of the bachelor auction (like prompt 4) It doesn’t have to follow that exact plot. Also, I love all things Olicity where Thea gets involved.  
> I chose to take my own spin on it, and had a lot of fun. This is also my first fic on AO3, so I'm pretty excited about that.  
> Hope you enjoy!

Felicity shifts in her dress, once again futilely checking her tablet and wishing she could be in the Foundry, down below the Queen Consolidated Christmas Party.

Parties are her least favorite part of being Oliver’s EA. She could be home with her DVR and a glass of red, or helping Oliver to figure out where the masked man he described is getting his blood from, but instead she’s stuck here. It’s taking everything in her and the possibility of Isabel’s pointed questions from disappearing downstairs. Not that she’s very good at disappearing. She should ask Oliver. He’s as silent as a freaking cat.

Felicity is so focused in her thoughts that she almost crashes into a young woman.

“Sorry…Thea?”

Thea looks at her for a brief moment, trying to remember who she is and it kind of hurts a bit that her friend’s sister doesn’t recognize her but she doesn’t commit fifteen federal offenses daily to make friends.

“Felicity, right? Oliver’s EA?”

“Yeah, how is Roy?” And Felicity shuts her eyes briefly and tries to remember if she should know that and sometimes she really hates social interaction. “Oliver told me he got in some trouble.”

“Oh. He’s fine now, thanks for asking. He’s actually over at the bar.” Felicity follows Thea’s finger to see a sulking Roy. Felicity is not the only one who would prefer to be in the trenches that night.

 “We didn’t have a Christmas Party this year so it’s nice to have somewhat of one, even if I have to run it. Besides, like I’d miss seeing Ollie being auctioned off.”

They both turn to look at the stage. As a special charity event for the Glades, QC was auctioning off Starling City’s most desirable bachelors as a Christmas Eve date, with the top prize being one Oliver Queen. Felicity smiles as she watches him wait patiently for his turn to be bid on. Oliver might be upset about this skull mask guy and worried about Mirakuru, but here he was, trying as both Oliver Queen and the Arrow to save his city. He was changing from the angry vigilante she met to a sort-of grumpy hero. Felicity is really proud of him. She also really needs to show him Grumpy Cat sometime.

“Grumpy Cat? I know, he looks super uncomfortable up there, oh Ollie. It was his idea. If he didn’t want to be part of it, he could have just said something.”

Felicity really needs to work on her filter.

“Your brother is the worst liar. He first came to me with some terrible story about spilling a latte on his laptop. No coffee spill, and I was able to work it just fine.”

“One Halloween he tried to convince me that he was dying, and the only way to save him was to give him all my candy.” 

They both laugh, and maybe this party wouldn’t be as terrible as she thought.

Ten minutes later she was regaling Thea with some of her legendary MIT hacking exploits ( _You got a car up **where**_?) when it was announced the bidding for Oliver Queen would began.

Several women let out wolf whistles and cheers. Felicity rolls her eyes, but can’t blame them. She puts in the usual token bid (Oliver had authorized spending money to put a half-hearted bid on each of the bachelors) and was just about to tell Thea about when she helped put a Dark Mark over the Student Center when Thea turns to her.

“You should actually bid on him.”

Felicity splutters, almost losing hold of her tablet.

“I’m sorry, _what_?”

“I see the way you look at him. It’ll be fun, come on!”

It wasn’t like she couldn’t, she still had money left. Spending money in Queen terms was enough to pay her rent for three years. But this was Oliver Queen, a man she had an actual, alphabetized list (it had been a bad day, and it was hidden in the deepest recesses of her tablet) on the reasons she should not even _think_ about dating him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, I mean we’re not…” 

“Dating? Who cares? I’ll bid too. Don’t tell me you aren’t up for a challenge?”

If there was one thing Felicity Smoak loved more than solving mysteries, it was beating challenges.

 _I am so screwed,_ she thinks as she shouts out two week’s pay. _So. Screwed._

Thea shouts out an even larger sum and soon Felicity loses herself in the competition, smiling and laughing and shouting. It feels nice and the closest thing to normal she has done in a while, which means she should seriously reevaluate her life.

“$15,000!”

“$15,000, going once…”

“$16,000!”

“16,000, going once, twice, sold!”

 _Oh my god._ Felicity can’t believe how much money she had just bid.

She watches dumbstruck as the victorious woman runs up to claim her prize. She laughs with Thea at Oliver’s terror-stricken look.

“That’s a friend of our mom’s. She’s kind of obsessed with him, poor Ollie.”

“I should probably go check on things. It was nice talking to you Felicity.”

“You too.” Felicity smiled at the younger Queen as she left, and turned to go find Dig. Tonight hadn’t been so bad after all.

 

“$15,000?” Dig’s eyes were twinkling, and Felicity had spoken way too soon.

“Not my idea. Your sister can be very persuasive!” She stops from checking for any police activity to point an accusing finger at Oliver.

“Very true.” And it’s nice to see Oliver smiling about his family, as wistful as it is.

“If I would have known about that woman, though, I would have bid more.”

An idea pops into her head. “This Felicity has failed you!”

Oliver rolls his eyes as he finishes his preparations. “Thank you for trying.”

Felicity grabs his mask and puts it on him, something that had become a habit of hers. “What are friends for?”

 

 

Four days later Oliver comes stomping into the Foundry, an amused Diggle close behind. “Got anything that will make me forget tonight ever happened?”

“Well, we are above a bar, but for the non-alcoholic sort I think I may have found a lead on our mystery masked guy.”

“Merry Christmas to me.” Oliver mutters, and goes to get suited up.

He comes back hours later and all but throws his bow down. Felicity reluctantly turns in her chair to face him.

“So, that just leaves us with more questions than answers. Guess I should try to get some.” She turns back to start hacking into some federal agencies when she replays that sentence and turns back around.

“Answers. I meant answers. I haven’t had some in a long time, but that’s kind of irrelevant and you two didn’t need to know that.” Felicity focuses her attention back on her computers and wills them to both forget her rambling like they normally do when she feels a hand on her shoulder.

 “Go home. Both of you. Relax, and don’t come in tomorrow. Even the Arrow deserves a day off.”

“Going to see A.J. tomorrow. Don’t get into any trouble tomorrow Oliver.” Diggle gives Felicity a friendly pat on the shoulder and Oliver a nod.

“Merry Christmas, Dig.”  He leaves, and Oliver turns to Felicity. “So, any big plans?”

Felicity starts to reluctantly power down. “Chinese food and a bad Syfy movies marathon.”

Oliver frowns as if he’s trying to remember something. “I think I’ve heard of that channel. Something about a shark and a tornado?”

Felicity smiles. “Merry Christmas Oliver.”

She leaves him to his island of solitude.

 

 

She wakes up the next morning to a knock on her door. When she opens it, Felicity isn’t sure if she’s more surprised to see Oliver, or that he actually used the front door.

“Oliver, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be spending time with your family?”

“I did.”  

He gives her the patented Oliver Queen intense stare, and she knows that’s all she will get out of him.

“Is it...” She looks around cautiously before making a bow and arrow motion.

Oliver smiles. “No, I’m just taking you out.”

“Oh, so this is a runner up date? I mean not date. Because I don’t think you’re asking me out, or anything. Unless you are. Which you are not. So it’s a not-date…thing.”

“It is a Felicity Smoak deserves a nice Christmas and I happen to know her favorite Chinese food place outing.”

“Sold.”

Dressed in record time, Felicity meets him out front and…

“No, nope. Not happening.”

“Felicity, come on.” He lowers his voice. “You’ve handled elevator shafts, jumping out of planes, landmines and you can’t handle this?”

“I’ve worked very hard to forget all those things happened. But yeah, this is so not happening.”

Oliver Queen gives her his puppy dog eyes and earnest smile and damn it.

“There has been a 2% increase in motorcycle fatalities this year.” Felicity whispers cheerfully in his ear as they race along. “You are five times more likely to be injured riding one than being in something sensible, like a car.”

 “I’m sorry Felicity, were you saying something?” Oliver shouts over the wind and she can hear the stupid smirk on his stupid handsome face, that jerk. He starts going even faster, forcing Felicity to hold onto him tighter.

Stupid rich vigilante bosses with their stupid motorcycles.

They pull up to her favorite Chinese restaurant and Oliver takes off his helmet and turns back to smile at her.

“See, it wasn’t so bad!”

Felicity glares at him and gets off the bike muttering more statistics but really, it’s nice to see Oliver so relaxed and playful. Whenever she’s with him he is either in Fake Oliver Queen playboy CEO mode, Grr Arrow mode, or Emotional Island Oliver Queen mode. It’s a good change of pace.

When they are seated Oliver surveys the place and Felicity feels weirdly nervous.

“There is nobody here. Is this what Christmas is like for you?”

“Yeah, it’s kind of magical. It’s like everywhere during holiday time is so full of crazed people doing last minute shopping that it makes the one day of quiet extra special.”

“So that’s what Christmas is to you? Holiday shopping madness and commercialism?”

“It’s not just that. Your movies aren’t half-bad, and I happen to think the decorations are pretty gorgeous. There are also these cool houses that have light shows synchronized up to songs and if I had a house I would totally program one to synch up The Dreidel Song, though I’m not sure I would ever have the budget for a giant dreidel but if I did I’ve already got some ideas for the configuration...” 

“Okay?” 

And she can tell she has completely lost him. They sit for moment in silence.

“I believed in Santa Claus until I was ten.” She blurts out. “I was okay that he didn’t get me presents or anything, I just thought he was cool. Guess I’ve always believed in heroes.”

“I figured it out when I was six. Then I kind of ruined it for Thea when she was seven. She still hasn’t forgiven me.”

Their waiter comes, and Oliver orders in rapid Chinese. It’s times like these where Felicity realizes how little she knows about him, even though it’s more than most.

“What was Christmas like for you?” Felicity bites her lips and wonders if this is something they Do Not Talk About and maybe she shouldn’t have said anything.

“We would have a big party. The mansion would be completely decorated, and Thea and I would bake cookies to leave for Santa, even after we found out. I think that was the only time out of the year where we would actually make something.”

“Oliver Queen cooking.” Felicity smiles, trying to imagine the sight.

“I learned how to properly later. I can make a pretty mean chili.”

“Really?”

“You just need some water on hand.  A jug or so.”

“I am intrigued.” 

“I’ll make it for you one day.”

“I look forward to it.”

Their order comes and Felicity digs in. The food is amazing as it usually is, but something is bothering her. She twirls her chopsticks and eventually gathers up her courage.

“Oliver?”

“Hmm?” It looks like he is sincerely enjoying the food, which makes her a lot happier than she should be.

“Why are you really doing this?”

He starts to say something, but stops and looks at her in earnest.

“After everything that’s happened this year, and the last, I just wanted to thank you. For… not giving up on me.”

“Oh please.” Felicity scoffs as she goes back to eating more of the delicious Mongolian Beef. “You’d be lost without me.”

“Yes. I would be.” And he’s holding her gaze and everything feels slightly shifted and Felicity isn’t sure where they are headed but she leans in a bit closer to…

“Everyone freeze!” A man with a ski mask man roars as he storms into the restaurant. “Put your hands up and get down.”

Felicity and Oliver comply, and she watches as three more men join him, all holding guns.

Seriously? This was so cliché that Felicity wants to roll her eyes, but her life was kind of in danger.

“Did you bring your tablet?” Oliver whispers urgently in her ear, and she thought he knew her better by now.

“On it.”  She surreptitiously pulls out her tablet and starts to hack into the restaurant while Oliver puts on his motorcycle helmet for a makeshift disguise.

The first man and another were up front, demanding money while the other two were watching the patrons. They obviously weren’t doing too great of a job as they hadn’t noticed them yet.

This was taking longer than she liked but at last she was in. Felicity looked up to Oliver who started slowly mouthing a count down.

_3._

_2._

_1._

The lights went on and off, momentarily distracting the robbers. First Guy ordered the other ones to check out what went wrong and Oliver swung into action.

 He tackles the nearest guy, shoves the gun out of his hands, and throws a punch, knocking him out. Oliver grabs a plate from a nearby table and chucks it into the other guy’s face, leading him to collapse onto a table. He overturns then dives under a table as the two robbers up front start shooting at him. Oliver takes a pair of chopsticks and throws it, knocking the gun out of the First Guy’s hand. He grabs table guy and drags him, using him as a human shield and then pushing the unconscious robber onto First Guy. Oliver kicks the last guy in the face and he collapses onto the floor.

Oliver surveys the place and starts to make improvised restraints as Felicity calls 911.  The place had suffered some damage but Felicity realizes he could have done way worse. Oliver tosses enough money on the table to cover the bill and more, and they quietly slip out before the police show up.

“Never a dull moment with you.” Felicity says, smiling as they walk back to his motorcycle.

“I like to keep things interesting. Sorry about our outing.”

“It’s fine. Thanks for keeping the place mostly intact.”

They get onto the motorcycle and Felicity automatically presses closer against him, because if she is forced to ride on this death trap, she might as well enjoy it.

 

They are at her front door and despite everything Felicity had a pretty good time. It’s a shame they had to cut their not-date so short, but she didn’t think he was ready for _Dinocroc vs. Supergator._

“Thanks Oliver.” She unlocks the door and hovers over the handle.

“Of course.” His smile is genuine, not the billionaire playboy one he gave her what feels like decades ago, and it’s nice. They both turn to face the door.

Giving herself a mental pep talk, she turns to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

“Merry Chris-“

And suddenly he’s turning to face her and her lips instead find his warm, surprisingly soft mouth and this was _not part of the plan_ and then she’s backed up against the door and really plans are overrated anyways because he tastes _amazing_ and wow she doesn’t want to know how he learned to kiss like that. They come up gasping for air and he has a fistful of her shirt and her fingers are in his hair and yeah, this was way better than one of her many fantasies. 

Oliver starts chuckling and good to know her brain-to-mouth filter isn’t working because she knows for certain this is definitely not a dream. She had a lot better lines in her fantasies like, “Took you long enough” and “Will that be all, Mr. Queen?”

She turns to look up at him and the moment is gone as Responsible Adult Felicity comes crashing in to remind her  about the very long list of reasons why she _shouldn’t_ be kissing Oliver Queen, no matter how awesome it feels.

She looks down at the floor (the carpet had acquired some interesting stains over the years). “Oliver, I’m sorry. Like you said, we shouldn’t, I shouldn’t...” And she is trying to smile but it feels like her heart is breaking and she told herself the first time after Oliver Queen waltzed into her life with a lie riddled with more holes than the laptop he gave her not to let this happen, and now here she is and Responsible Felicity was right and…

Oliver tilts her chin up until she’s looking directly into his eyes.

“Oliver the Hood, the killer…he can’t be with someone he cares about. But you’ve told me I’m not a killer, I’m a hero. And Oliver Queen the hero? Maybe he…maybe you and I both deserve to be happy.”

His eyes are pleading but afraid.

“Diggle’s right.”

“What?”

“It’s weird when you talk about yourself in third person.”

Felicity launches herself back at him.

Later she would tell him that it was the best Christmas she had ever had.

He agreed.

**Author's Note:**

> The M.I.T. hacking thing is real, and was inspired by a post on the Felicity Smoak tag on tumblr which I can't seem to find. The motorcycle ride was inspired by this http://jaegermighty.tumblr.com/post/69803130062/its-12-40-pm-local-time-folks-its-the-official awesome crackfic.  
> Hope you had a great Christmas and have a happy New Year!


End file.
